Picking Up Where We Left Off
by areyoualways-thisarticulate
Summary: The lives of the Bennet Sisters lead them after Lizzie's new videos
1. Export

"So, what do you think?' Lizzie asked as her video ended. She hadn't edited a video in ages, so she wanted to make sure it had the best critique possible. Darcy furrowed his eyebrows and looked over at her, sitting across from him at the table. She was still in her pajamas.

"It was good, I'm just… not sure why it had to end when I got there," he remarked. Lizzie smiled as she turned her laptop back around to face her.

"Because they like it, the viewers, they get all excited. I'll edit the rest and upload it on Monday, like my old schedule. Besides, the old viewers won't even be expecting a video. How do you think they would handle the both of us onscreen together visibly in a stable relationship? Let's not give it to them all at once. Thanks for agreeing to be in it, by the way."

"It was my pleasure. Leaving out the fact that Bing and Jane's wedding is in less than two months was a good decision."

"I thought what I said would cut it; I rarely told my viewers _everything," _she replied with a smirk.

"Well, it seems good to me," he concluded, returning to his bowl of cereal.

"Okay, export," Lizzie said, clicking on the button, then taking a sip of coffee. She slowly ate her cereal as she checked to make sure all her reservations for her conference in New York next week were good to go. She felt a nagging sensation in the back of her mind, a bit of worry, but she didn't know why. Everything was going well. She had moved in with Darcy a few months ago after Dr. Gardiner's friend had returned, and her business, Longbourne Industries, was slowly becoming very popular. Bing and Jane were getting married_. _Lydia was finishing her first year at USF as a psych major. There was nothing to worry about. She brushed it off and got up. She kissed Darcy on the cheek as she walked towards the bedroom to get ready for work.

* * *

><p>Lydia felt the sun on her face as she walked out of class. She had two weeks until finals, and then she would be done. Then it would be summer. She still didn't like school that much, but she stuck around because of Ty. He was practically her best friend; they had met on her first day at USF and they somehow had a majority of their classes together. He was new this year as well, he had moved away from New Zealand to live with his aunt and study psychology as well. Lydia was taking a break from guys for the time being, and Ty totally respected that. It had been three months before Lydia actually gave Ty her phone number or even hung out with him outside of school. Her counseling helped, but it was still hard for her to trust. Not after what had happened back in March.<p>

"I'm starving," she heard him say behind her. Ty caught up with her and shot her one of his crooked smiles.

"Well, it's a good thing we have time for lunch now, isn't it?" she replied, sitting down on one of the campus' many benches and pulling her bag onto her lap. Ty sat next to her as she turned her phone back on. It obviously wasn't a school requirement, but having it off during class helped her to focus. She glanced over at him as he stared up at the sky.

"Do they not have clouds in New Zealand?" she asked him jokingly. He looked at her with mock offense.

"You keep being mean and no one's ever going to date you, Lydia Bennet." She smirked at him.

"Oh, no! Tiberius, you've discovered my evil plan," she said, "for the time being…" He frowned, ran his fingers through his curly, dirty-blonde hair, and muttered, "Don't call me that." Lydia's phone began to buzz with all the notifications she'd missed during their last two exams.

"Mary's on her lunch break, she wants to know if you're game for froyo," Lydia read.

"I am always game for froyo," he replied.

"I'll let her know." She continued scrolling through her phone. She grabbed Ty's arm.

"I can't believe it!" Lydia yelled, scaring a few nearby pigeons.

"What is it?" Ty asked, slightly concerned. He craned his neck over to see Lydia's screen.

"Apparently, Lizzie posted a new video. _Without me!" _

"Okay, one: I thought she stopped doing that a year ago, and two: you told me you weren't about that anymore."

"That's definitely what happened, and maybe I did say that, but that's not important. C'mon," she said, popping up, "let's go find a froyo place with good wifi."

* * *

><p>1 week. Jane's 48 hours of worry seemed like a trip to Tahiti compared to the past 7 days. The first day she had deemed it nothing, two days, a small feeling of worry took root in the back of her mind. After three days she knew this wasn't a fluke. Day four was when she had told Bing, day five they decided that they would find out for certain, but only if it persisted to day seven. And here Jane was, 9 p.m., running home from the drugstore in the rain, a small plastic bag containing the pregnancy test in one hand and fiddling with her engagement ring with the other. She was breathing heavily by the time she had reached the elevator. As it slowly rose to the 8th floor, Jane decided that the worst thing about this possibility of a situation was the timing. Less than two months from now was her wedding with the man of her dreams. She let out a small laugh. She had just finished tailoring her dress.<p>

The ding of the elevator brought her back to reality. She made her way to the door of her apartment and went in. Bing quickly sat down on the sofa, but she knew he had been pacing. He got up and hugged her, even though she was soaking wet. They each took a deep breath. The next few minutes could potentially change their lives forever. Jane gave Bing a weak smile.

" Here we go," she said, and took the small bag into the bathroom. Bing waited outside the door until she came out again holding the little plastic stick.

"How long-"Bing started.  
>"About two minutes," she said, checking the timer she had set on her phone.<p>

"Jane," he began, lifting up her chin, "We've talked about taking the test. We haven't talked about what will happen if it's positive." She shook her head.

"It would just be a lot of fuss if it isn't, and if it is we'll have a lot of time."

"Look, we're about to spend the rest of our lives together. We need to talk about things like this."

"A week ago I wasn't even thinking about anything remotely close to this, Bing. It's not that I don't want this, it's just… bad timing." He nodded. There was silence for a few moments as Bing followed Jane to the couch.

"Bad timing seems to be a recurring factor in our relationship," he said with a nervous laugh. Jane laughed, too, but the smile faded quickly. Bing kissed her on the forehead.

"Whatever happens, Jane, we'll handle it togeth-" just then the timer went off. After taking another deep breath, Jane looked at the test.

"Positive."

* * *

><p>"I swear, this place is bigger every time I come over," Lydia said, looking around Darcy and Lizzie's apartment. Lizzie laughed. Since she was leaving for her conference in New York on Monday, she decided to invite Lydia and Mary over for dinner. Mary had plans with Eddie, so it was just Lydia. Lizzie was just about to start cooking when Lydia arrived.<p>

"Can I help?" Lydia asked, "I mean, I'm not that good, but…"

"Sure," Lizzie replied with a smile. She set Lydia up with something simple and started working on the main dish.

"So," Lydia began, "When's Darce-face getting here?" Lizzie looked at the clock on the wall.

"He told me he was on his way home about ten minutes ago, so any minute, I guess." Lydia nodded. Almost as if on cue, Lizzie heard the door open and looked over to see Darcy coming in.

"Hello, Lizzie," he said with a smile.

"Hi," she replied. A few moments later Lydia said, "Hi, Darcy."

"Oh, Lydia, I almost forgot you were coming."

"I gathered."

"My apologies." He rolled up his sleeves and started on one of the side dishes. They chatted and made dinner together. Lizzie was excited to see Jane again next week; she hadn't seen her in person since Bing had proposed.

"Promise me you'll get me something cool in NYC," Lydia said.

"Maybe, but you know that Jane's going to have something great for me to bring back for you," Lizzie insisted. Lizzie missed Jane, but she was glad to have Lydia around all the time. She had really grown up, yet somehow she was the same kid she was before she started her videos. After dinner was over, Lydia said goodnight and went home.

"Do you like having Lydia over?" Lizzie asked Darcy while he was doing the dishes.

"She's growing on me," he replied. He wasn't the best at social interactions. Lizzie knew that all to well. She hopped up onto the counter next to the sink.

"She may not act like it, but she owes you a lot and she knows it."

"How many more times do I have to tell you that I didn't do it for her."

"At least three," she said with a smile, and she kissed him.


	2. High-Velocity Throw Pillow

Jane was nervous. Lizzie had booked the earliest possible flight in, which landed her at JFK at about three. Jane waited by the gate with her sign. She felt her phone buzz and saw it was a text from Lizzie:

_Landed safe and sound! I'm all carry-ons so I'll be out soon._

Jane smiled and typed:

_Can't wait. See you soon!_

She put her phone back in her bag and held up the sign that said "Lizzie" on it. Jane always made things for other people when she was upset or nervous. Right now it was the latter. She hadn't seen Lizzie since thanksgiving, and a lot had changed since then. Jane glanced back up at the top of the arrivals escalator and suddenly saw a familiar face. She was smiling before she knew it. Lizzie saw the sign and laughed appreciatively, getting a few looks from fellow passengers on the escalator. As soon as she reached the bottom of the escalator, Lizzie rushed to hug her sister.

"Oh, Lizzie, it's so good to see you," Jane said as she let go. She insisted on carrying Lizzie's bag and they caught up as they made their way onto the subway. By the time they arrived at their stop, it was almost as if she and Lizzie had never been apart. Jane had taken the day off and Lizzie's conference didn't start until tomorrow, so they would have the day (and the apartment) to themselves. As Jane approached the door, Lizzie took back her bag so Jane could have both hands free.

"Oh, hey, I almost forgot," Lizzie began, "are you alright? You said you weren't feeling well last week when I called you. I mean, you seem fine, but you know. Just wanted to make sure." Lizzie smiled. Jane unlocked the door, went inside, and turned to face Lizzie.

"Um, about that, I'm not fine. I mean, I am fine. I'm just… not…"

"Not what? Are you and Bing okay?"

"We're great, actually," Jane took a deep breath," I'm pregnant." She smiled. Lizzie hugged her.

"Jane, that's great!" She paused and stepped back, "That's great, right?"

"Yeah," Jane nodded, "Yeah, it is. Just, don't tell anyone yet. It's, like, way too early anyways. Bing and I think we're going to wait until after the wedding. I just had to tell you. Even if something happens, I wanted you to know. You're my best friend."

"So you and Bing are actually doing this? You're not, I don't know, freaking out or anything?"

"Lizzie, of course I'm freaking out. My wedding is in a month and a half and I just found out I'm going to be a mom. I think anyone would be freaking out. But Bing's here and we knew this would happen eventually, just not so soon, I guess." Jane smiled.

"I'm really happy for you two," Lizzie said. Jane was happy to have her.

* * *

><p>"So, long story short, I had to do the entire presentation by myself," Lizzie told Darcy. She was calling him for the first time in days. Sure, she was flying home the next day, but she had been meaning to talk to him since she had flown in on Monday. She had just returned from a night out in the city with Bing and Jane. They had gotten all dressed up to take her out to dinner and see Lion King on Broadway. Now she sat barefoot on the couch on the phone with her boyfriend.<p>

"Tell him I said hi," Bing put in, as he got up to go change into something more comfortable.

"Bing says hi," she relayed.

"Tell him I look forward to seeing him at his wedding," Darcy replied. Jane sat on a chair next to Lizzie, surfing the channels to see if anything good was on.

"Speaking of," Darcy continued, "you've told me about the conference, but you haven't told me how Bing and Jane are doing."

"They're fine. Excited tor the wedding. Um, Jane's pre-" Lizzie was suddenly aware of the high-velocity throw pillow zooming toward her head, and was too late to miss it. She nearly dropped her phone.

"What?" she heard Darcy say "Is everything alright over there?" Jane shot Lizzie a look.

"Everything's good," Lizzie replied, "Jane's just, uh, practicing. Yes, practicing her vows. Wedding's in six weeks, everything has to be perfect!"

"I see," Darcy said, with a hint of suspicion. Jane was still watching Lizzie carefully.

"Alright, Jane wants to practice some more. I have to go, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I love you," Lizzie concluded.

"Love you, too," Darcy said, and he hung up. Lizzie put down her phone and turned to Jane.

"You threw a pillow at my face!" Lizzie exclaimed.

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Jane reminded her.

"Yes, but, he's my boyfriend and Bing's best friend. I thought maybe he deserved to know."

"He does. But, you know, not yet. And not from you. Like you said, Bing's his best friend. Darcy deserves to hear it from him."

"Right," Lizzie paused and looked down, "Sorry for doing that thing again."

"What thing?"

"That thing where I try to share other people's personal lives without their permission." Jane moved over onto the couch next to Lizzie and put her arm around her.

"Yeah, I'm afraid that's a bad habit to get back into," Jane reassured her. Lizzie leaned her head onto Jane's shoulder. She was glad to have a sister like her.

* * *

><p>"Lizzie got in last night, she's sleeping off the jet lag," Lydia announced as she walked into her apartment. Lydia noticed that Mary was sitting on the couch with a bunch of papers in her hand.<p>

"Is everything okay?" Lydia asked.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. We just have to renew the lease by the first week of July."

"So? That's like a month away right? We should be okay," Lydia insisted, sliding next to Mary on the couch. Mary's brow furrowed.

"We have enough money don't we?" Lydia was slightly worried now. Mary nodded slowly and looked up from her papers.

"Yeah, definitely. It's just, I feel like something's going to happen between now and then. Like we should wait." Lydia wasn't sure what she meant. Mary was better at the money and finances thing than Lydia was.

"Mary, we've got this." Lydia squeezed Mary's hand. They both smiled.

"Hey," Mary began, "don't worry about it. You've got other things to worry about."

"Like what?" Lydia said with fake obliviousness.

"Finals on Monday, for one." Lydia groaned and smashed her face into a pillow. Mary laughed.


	3. I Don't Want to Watch 80s Movies

"By the way," Charlotte began, changing the subject, "Maria told me to tell you that she and her class finished their final projects." Lizzie laughed.

"She really wants that Darcy footage, huh? Tell her that as soon as I get the okay from Dr. Gardiner, I'll put it up." Lizzie was happy to talk to Charlotte. She remembered when they had started her diaries, now they were in charge of different tech-related companies. They were lucky if they could call each other at lunch. Today was one of those lucky days.

"Okay. I apologize for my sister's strange obsession with your love life," Charlotte added.

"No worries," Lizzie replied, "I used to share my sister's love life with the internet. I'm not even slightly surprised that the internet, including Maria, wants to hear about mine." She looked at her watch. "Char, I'm so sorry, but my break's almost over. I've got to get back to the office." She heard Charlotte sigh.

"Alright, Lizzie. It was nice talking to you again."

"I miss you."

"Miss you, too. I'll see you at the wedding."

"Bye." Lizzie put her phone back in her bag and threw the small remainder of her lunch in the trash. She got on the train and made her way back to the office. At this point, her company, Longbourne Industries, took up a mere two floors of the skyscraper, but they were densely populated. Lizzie's office was on the higher of the two, with a great view of the city. She put down her bag, sat in her fancy boss chair (her title for it), and woke up her computer to check her email. As if on cue, there was an email from Dr. Gardiner.

* * *

><p>"We even agreed upon a schedule, see?" Lydia announced, holding up a piece of loose leaf with some scribbles on it.<p>

"How organized," Mary noted sarcastically. Mary was getting ready for work while Lydia was waiting for Ty to arrive. It was his last week in San Fran before he went back to New Zealand for the summer. They were celebrating in the best way they could think of. Mary grabbed Lydia's paper and studied it more closely.

"You gave it a title? 'Tiberius Redmond & Lydia Bennet's Post-Finals-Week Binge-Watch-A-Thon'?" she read, skeptical.

"We might make it a tradition. Today, we're watching Disney movies," Lydia elaborated.

"He actually talked you into watching _Lord of the Rings_?"

"He said something about it 'being from his homeland' and 'knowing I'd like it'. Whatever. I trust him." Mary looked up at her.

"Okay. So, you're really comfortable watching _Game of Thrones_ with him for two days straight?"

"I think so, but-" Lydia began, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. "That's him! Get the door, I've got to go put _The Lion King_ in!" Mary sighed and walked over to the door. She opened it, let Ty in, and walked out. By the time Lydia saw her again, it was dark out, and Ty had fallen asleep next to her. The next day proceeded similarly, but Lydia knew something was up when Mary got home not long after lunch. Lydia paused _The Two Towers _and followed Mary into her room. She was packing a small bag full of clothes and essentials.

"Is everything okay?" Lydia asked, worried. Ty stood at the door behind her, also concerned.

"It's my mom," Mary replied hurriedly, "she's in the hospital. Appendicitis. She'll be fine, but she just needs me right now. Don't worry about it. You two go back to your movies."

"You sure?" Lydia asked. Mary nodded with a weak smile and hugged her.

"Give your mum our best," Ty added. To his surprise, Mary hugged him too.

"Go enjoy your Hobbits and stuff. Really, don't worry about it. I'll be back soon, once mom's better. Now go on, don't let me stop you." Ty and Lydia reluctantly went back to their couch and exchanged a worried look before resuming their movie.

Late Thursday night, while Ty was getting popcorn before the final episode, Lydia came to a decision she had been internally debating for months. When she and Ty became friends, she had requested that he never do this. She hadn't even don it since the events she had dubbed "The Dickham Incident". Upon returning with more popcorn, Ty noticed the odd expression on her face.

"Hey, are you alright? Who am I kidding, no one's alright after the Red Wedding."

"Yeah, that was intense, but, no. That's not it. I, um, I don't want to watch 80's movies tomorrow." She took a deep breath, "I want to show you Lizzie's videos."

* * *

><p>"We're missing something, Bing," Jane said, leafing through her wedding binder.<p>

"I hope to god we're not missing anything because we've only got a month. We have everything, don't we? We've got a venue, a band, we've planned the reception seating, and all that other stuff. What else could we need?"

"I don't know. I'm just really nervous. Trying to keep my mind off of other things. Like my mom. You know how boastful she can be. If she somehow finds out I'm pregnant, she'll tell everyone at the wedding before we're even married. Everyone will get the wrong idea."

"You think if people find out they'll assume that's why we're getting married? Jane, that doesn't even make any sense. I proposed in November!" Bing sighed.

"I know, Bing, but still. My mom can't know. I think to play it safe we just shouldn't tell anyone until we get back from Venice. I mean, it's too early anyways."

"You're right," he said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Let's just focus on the wedding and put that a bit to the side until after the wedding. We can freak out about one thing at a time, okay?" Jane laughed and went back to leafing through her binder.

"We're still missing something."

* * *

><p>"… the Ly-di-a!" the Lydia on the screen said.<p>

"Oh my God, I was so annoying," Lydia remarked, looking at Ty's face to see whether or not he agreed.

"You were really different, I'll give you that," he insisted, but there was a hint of sadness. He looked over at her. "That Wickham really did a number on you." Lydia felt the tears coming.

"Ty, I told you not to mention him."

"Yet, you're showing me the videos which I have no doubt have something to do with him. I'm just taking a guess that that's why you haven't shown them to me yet. You can't avoid them forever, Lydia, you're the one who suggested we watch them." He noticed her eyes welling and suddenly felt awful. "Lydia I'm sorry. That was really harsh and not my place to go there."

"No, Ty, you're right. I can't avoid him or what he did. And you have the right to know. Just don't be surprised if I can't stay on this couch the whole time." And she didn't. She remembered which ones he had appeared in, and before Ty could say anything, she would hide in the bathroom before George came on screen. She would come back for the others, but when they got to the part about the website, Lydia couldn't bear to watch anymore and found herself sitting on her bed, crying. After a while, Ty came in and sat next to her.

"I'm sorry, Lydia. I shouldn't have agreed to watch them with you. I had no idea how much it would hurt you," he said, putting his arm around her and hugging her.

"Neither did I," Lydia agreed. "But you needed to see them. Now you know about what happened. How stupid I was."

" Lydia, you weren't stupid. He was a douchebag that tricked you. I didn't watch your videos, but I'm sure he was very convincing. Besides, that was, what, over a year ago? You're way stronger and more awesome now. If he saw you, he'd be like, 'Oh, I should never have tried to take advantage of Lydia Bennet, because now, she could probably kick my ass, but she wouldn't have to because her awesome also badass friend Ty would happily do it for her!'" Lydia laughed. Ty's American accent was terrible.


End file.
